A man has been issued with a three year Football Banning Order following a report of anti-Semitic chanting during a match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 7 November 2021.
Michael Campbell, 44, of Aigburth Road, Liverpool was handed the ban after it was reported that he was directing anti-Semitic slurs towards Tottenham Hotspur fans.
Campbell was identified to police by witnesses, arrested and charged following an investigation with Everton Football Club.
On Thursday 20 January, Campbell appeared at South Sefton Magistrates Court in Bootle and was issued with a three year Football Banning Order, preventing him from attending any regulated football matches during that time.
He was also ordered to pay a fine and court costs.
Detective Inspector Steven O’Neill said: “Hate crime in all its forms simply will not be tolerated and I hope this result sends a clear message that anyone found to commit hate crime offences anywhere on Merseyside will be brought to justice.
“Campbell will now have a criminal record and the consequences of this in the future could prove to be significant.
“The professional response of Everton Football Club stewards meant that he was quickly identified and arrested.
“We know that the overwhelming majority of supporters attending matches are well behaved and would share our revulsion at these appalling chants. However, when the behaviour of fans is unacceptable we will always work with clubs to identify those people and put them before the courts.
“I would like to encourage any football fans with information on such incidents to speak with officers or stewards at the ground or call 101 so that offenders can be found and face the consequences of their actions.”
An Everton spokesperson said: “Club officials and security staff have worked alongside Merseyside Police in their investigation which has concluded with an arrest and subsequent conviction.
“The Club strongly condemns any form of hate crime and has a zero-tolerance policy on all forms of discrimination. Any such behaviour has no place within our stadiums, our community or our game and we will act swiftly to deal with any reported instances of discrimination.
“Our award-winning ‘All Together Now’ campaign reaffirms these sentiments and unifies Everton and Everton in the Community’s collaborative work regarding equality and diversity to ensure all fans – and anyone visiting Goodison Park or any of our community facilities – feels safe and welcome at all times.”
Anyone with information on hate crime is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Across Merseyside, we also have a number of third party reporting centres including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals. A list of locations can be viewed here: merseyside-third-party-hate-crime-reporting-centres.pdf
